Zephaniah 3

The book of Zephaniah, the Old Testament prophet Zephaniah.

We have been spending a number of weeks in this little book.

This whole book is written as a poem or as a song.

What we're going to do this evening is I'll read all of chapter 3 again,

but then we'll focus on words from verse 11 to verse 15.

So Zephaniah chapter 3.

Zephaniah 3 · chapter mention

Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled.

She obeys no one.

She accepts no correction.

She does not trust in the Lord.

She does not draw near to her God.

Her officials are roaring lions.

Her rulers are evening wolves who leave nothing for the morning.

Her prophets are arrogant.

They are treacherous men.

Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.

The Lord within her is righteous.

He does no wrong.

Morning by morning, he dispenses his justice.

And every new day, he does not fail.

Yet the unrighteous know no shame.

I have cut off nations.

Their strongholds are demolished.

I have left their streets deserted with no one passing through.

Their cities are destroyed.

No one will be left.

No one at all.

I said to the city,

Surely you will fear me and accept correction.

Then her dwelling would not be cut off,

nor all my punishments come upon her.

But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.

Therefore, wait for me, declares the Lord.

For the day I will stand up to testify.

I have decided to assemble the nations,

to gather the kingdoms,

and to pour out my wrath on them,

all my fierce anger.

The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.

Then will I purify the lips of the peoples,

that all of them may call on the name of the Lord,

and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

From beyond the rivers of Cush,

my worshippers,

my scattered people,

will bring me offerings.

On that day you will not be put to shame,

for all the wrongs you have done to me.

Because I will remove from this city,

those who rejoice in their pride.

Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.

But I will leave within you the meek and humble,

who trust in the name of the Lord.

The remnant of Israel will do no wrong.

They will speak no lies,

nor will deceit be found in their mouths.

They will eat and lie down,

and no one will make them afraid.

Sing, O daughter of Zion.

Shout aloud, O Israel.

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

O daughter of Jerusalem.

The Lord has taken away your punishment.

He has turned back your enemy.

The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you.

Never again will you fear any harm.

On that day they will say to Jerusalem,

Do not fear, O Zion.

Do not let your hands hang limp.

The Lord, your God, is with you.

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you.

He will quiet you with his love.

He will rejoice over you with singing.

The sorrows for the appointed feasts

I will remove from you.

They are a burden and a reproach to you.

At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you.

I will rescue the lame

and gather those who have been scattered.

I will give them praise and honor

in every land where they were put to shame.

At that time I will gather you.

At that time I will bring you home.

I will give you honor and praise

among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your fortunes

before your very eyes,

says the Lord.

Amen.

Once again at the book of Zephaniah.

Zephaniah's closing words

are about fortunes being restored.

So what I want to think about this evening

is the promise of God

to the city of Jerusalem

of a change in fortunes

that would come for them

because of the grace of God.

And to think how in the gospel of Jesus

they were promised

that same change of fortune.

But let's begin here.

Let's begin with two cities under siege.

The first one,

Stalingrad in Russia

during the Second World War.

So in 1942,

Stalingrad had already

been under German attack

for over a year.

So they were surrounded on all sides

by the German army

trying to make a march east.

And the people within the city of Stalingrad,

they were starving.

The bombs were falling regularly.

This was a suffering people.

But then in the summer of 1942,

the conductor of the Stalingrad Orchestra

decided that what was left of the orchestra

that hadn't been killed and fighting to date

would perform a new symphony

composed by Shostakovich.

And so this battered and starving city

and musicians that could hardly draw enough puff

to get their instruments working

worked together for a number of months

until the 9th of August

when they were due to perform this new symphony.

So to make sure that there was peace

for the performance,

Russian planes flew over the city

bombing the German areas around the city.

And so they were free as a city

to listen to this new symphony.

It was a hugely significant moment for them

in their effort to endure.

For 18 months,

they would still have to hang on

until the Soviet army en masse would come

and give them deliverance.

But the city recognized

in the music of Shostakovich

and in the production of that symphony,

that's a hard word to say, hope,

the city endured

because in part of this music

that spoke courage into their bones.

There's another city under siege

in Zephaniah 3.

And that's Jerusalem,

the city of God,

under siege

because of the judgment of God.

That they had so often turned their back on God,

turning towards other gods

that God had sent the nations.

He's promising He's going to send the nations

to surround,

to bring judgment on them.

So Jerusalem here in chapter 3

is a city under siege.

And so the question then is,

where will hope for this city come from?

That hope won't come from a symphony,

but it will come from the song of the gospel.

What we'll see this evening

is that hope is promised,

deliverance is promised

from outside of themselves.

A hope that will make them sing

because they are being reminded

of the gospel of God with us.

Every Christmas we remind ourselves

of one of the titles of Jesus,

that He is Emmanuel,

God with us.

Well, that same promise is given

to the city of Jerusalem.

It's the same promise given to each one of us

in the gospel,

that in Jesus we can know God with us

in our lives,

even when we perhaps feel like

we are under siege,

under attack,

experiencing all kinds of suffering.

But before we get there,

let's remind ourselves

from the beginning of chapter 3,

why is Jerusalem facing

this promised judgment?

So quick recap,

it's been a few weeks

since we've been in Zephaniah.

The day of the Lord

is a major theme in this book.

The day of the Lord,

God's people presumed

it would mean salvation for them,

but they're being warned

against complacency.

They're being told

because of their rebellion,

the day of the Lord

will bring judgment.

Judgment, chapter 1,

judgment for Judah.

And then in chapter 2,

there's a break

and they're told of judgment

on the surrounding nations.

But then in chapter 3,

focus returns to God's city,

to Jerusalem,

and they're told judgment

will fall on them.

The day of the Lord

in the first eight verses

will come as judgment.

So let's think about

why that's the case.

Look at the first two verses.

There is an announcement

of woe on this city

for a number of reasons.

We see them as lawbreakers.

We see them as rebels.

We see them as defiled

and religiously unclean before God.

We see them in verse 2

as disobedient towards God,

untrusting of God.

We see them deliberately

walking away from God

instead of drawing near.

In verses 3 to 5,

there is a contrast

presented for us.

In verse 5,

we're introduced to the Lord

within the city,

the Lord with them,

who is righteous,

who performs in ways

that are just

and who seeks righteousness.

So you've got the righteous Lord,

but then all around that,

you have the unrighteous leaders

of the people,

whether that's the officials

of verse 3,

whether that's the prophets

and the priests

of verse 4,

whether it's the religious

or political and moral

and social leaders,

all of them

are acting in ways

that are unrighteous.

That's why judgment will come.

In verses 6 and 7,

Zephaniah is sent

to remind them

of what God has been doing

in the surrounding area.

God has begun

to bring about judgment

on the surrounding nations.

And that was intended

to be a wake-up call.

Verse 7,

I said to the city,

surely you will fear me

and accept correction,

having cut off nations

in verse 6.

But they don't.

They don't hear those warnings.

They don't respond

to the judgment of God.

They remain complacent.

That they'll be okay

because they're part of Israel.

So that in verse 8,

they're told to wait

for the Lord.

God's judgment would come.

God within the city

will now be God against the city

because of their rebellion.

What has Jerusalem got to do

with you and me?

Well, here in this book,

we have God,

the Creator King,

saying,

I am the Lord with you.

And this same God

who says,

I am the Lord with you,

is the same God

who sends Jesus

to be our Emmanuel.

The same Jesus

who is sent to be

our suffering servant.

But just as the people

in Zephaniah's day,

so by nature,

we say to God,

we don't want you

and we don't want

your salvation.

We want to go our own way,

make our own choices.

That just as in Zephaniah's day,

they are not alone

in establishing idols

for themselves.

placing someone

or something higher

than God

in terms of significance

and worship.

All of us stand

in covenant relationship

with God,

but all of us,

because of our disobedience,

have broken that covenant

just as they did.

And in our daily decisions,

just as in Zephaniah's day,

all too often,

we are rejecting

God as king

and as Lord

because we would have

that place instead.

So one of the things

that the Old Testament

prophets do for us,

and Zephaniah certainly

does this for us,

is it reminds us,

they remind us

of the heart of sin.

They remind us of the sin

in our human hearts.

J.C. Ryle,

a Bible teacher

from a previous generation

said,

a right knowledge of sin

lies at the root

of all saving Christianity.

When we lose sight

of our sin

and rebellion

against God,

when sin is something

that's treated

as no big deal,

when we look at ourselves

as fundamentally good

and right,

and surely,

just by virtue

of being people,

we're in a good relationship

with God,

then the message

of the Bible,

it doesn't come to us

with any urgency.

The message

that Jesus died

for sinners

makes no sense

if we don't understand

ourselves to be

in that place.

It was John Newton

who famously sang

about amazing grace,

but we will only sing

that from our hearts

when we understand

it saves a wretch

like me.

And so,

the message

against Jerusalem

is a message

that we need

to pay attention to

because it reveals

the sin

that lies within.

But then,

the wonderful message

of Zephaniah

also speaks

so much gospel hope

to us.

Remember that theme

towards the end

of chapter three

of fortunes

being restored.

Let's look together

at how these images

of transformation

are brought

from Zephaniah

to this people

standing under

God's judgment.

First of all,

shame

will be

removed.

Look at verse 11.

On that day,

you will not

be put to shame

for all the wrongs

you have done

to me.

For Jerusalem,

they had done

shameful things.

Chapter one

and chapter three

are a catalogue

of people

who should have

been following

God's way,

God's law,

mistreating others

and dishonoring God

in false worship.

They had done

shameful things

and because

of that,

they have brought

shame on themselves.

They have become

unclean,

defiled,

as we're told

in verse one.

Sin had polluted

them.

There is this

ugly stain

on the city

and there is

no soap

to deal with

that disgrace

that they possess

in and of

themselves.

So Zephaniah

has been sent

to show

them their shame,

to show

how they have

treated,

how they have

mistreated

God,

that they would

feel the sense

of that,

the weight

of that,

but also

then that they

would see

God's grace

as good news.

When these

city streets

would be washed

clean of shame,

when their

shameful past

would be

forgotten,

when this

God who

they have

dishonored

would be

willing to

associate

with them.

Look at the

end of verse

13,

or verse

13,

the remnant

of Israel

will do

no wrong,

they will

speak no

lies,

nor will

deceit be

found in

their mouths,

they will

eat and

lie down,

and no one

will make

them afraid.

That's a

picture of

God as

their shepherd,

God in

the midst

of them

to care

for them,

willing to

associate

with those

who will

humble

themselves,

who will

acknowledge

their shame,

and who will

trust once

again in the

Lord,

they will

find this

shepherd king

who would

honor them

and who

would care

for them.

And we

see these

values again

in the coming

of Jesus.

This gospel

of hope,

this good

news is

brought by

Jesus,

that instead

of shame,

we can

receive

honor.

Perhaps we

see it most

strikingly in

the conversation

that Jesus

has with a

Samaritan

woman in

John chapter

John 4 · chapter mention

4.

This is a

lady who

lives with

very public

shame and

disgrace because

she has had

five husbands

and now she's

living with

somebody who

she's not

married to.

And in this

religious society

in which they

live, this

brought shame

and disgrace

on her.

But Jesus

comes and

Jesus is

willing to

associate with

her.

Jesus in

love talks

with her,

offers himself

as living

water,

lovingly

shows her

her sin

and her

shame so

that he

might bring

healing.

Shame

turns to

honor when

we encounter

the Lord

Jesus.

And that's

such a

powerful truth

of the

gospel because

shame can

be such a

heavy burden.

Many

psychologists

would reckon

that shame

is actually a

heavier thing

to deal

with than

guilt in

terms of

its

psychological

damage.

Shame can

crush us,

leaving us

feeling worthless,

unclean,

and dirty.

mercy.

But here

in Jesus

we can

find hope.

Here

through

Jesus

we can

sing as

those who

have found

honor to

replace

shame.

Because

Jesus

will come

into the

world in

order to

bear our

shame on

the cross.

Jesus

will take

on himself

the pollution

of sin

and he

will be

punished

for that.

He will

bear the

shame and

disgrace

so that we

might not.

Jesus

will face

the shame

of being

mocked

and rejected

so that you

and I

can be

welcomed.

Jesus

will pay

the ultimate

sacrifice

giving his

life for

us so

that we

might know

the honor

of being

children of

God.

In the

gospel we

discover that

Jesus secures

our honor

before God

because he

identifies with

us in our

sin and our

shame and he

gives us a

new identity

so that we

can live as

children of

God.

That Samaritan

woman who

had known

such disgrace

when she

met Jesus

as she

went back

to her

village and

she said

come see a

man who

told me

everything I

ever did.

Could this

be the

Christ?

Those awful

things of her

past that

has served to

condemn and

crush now

become pointers

to the good

news that

Jesus offers

to anyone

that is hope

beyond shame

in knowing

Jesus.

But there's

more gospel

hope, there's

more transformation

promised by

God through

Zephaniah here.

There is the

promise of

punishment that

will be removed.

Verse 14 and

15.

Sing, O

daughter of

Zion, shout

aloud, O

Israel.

Be glad and

rejoice with all

your heart, O

daughter of

Jerusalem, the

Lord has

taken away

your punishment.

Here is a

truth to

make our

hearts sing.

The Lord, the

personal covenant

God, the

God who has

entered into a

relationship with

his people, who

has always proved

faithful to his

people, offers

hope to those

who have been

faithless to

him.

there has

been rebellion

against the

king, as

we've seen all

through Zephaniah.

There has been

spiritual adultery

committed against

God, the

faithful husband,

as we've seen

through Zephaniah.

Morally, we've

seen that rebellion

and unfaithfulness

in their lies,

in their

corruption, in

their exploitation,

in their pride,

in their greed.

Spiritually, we see

it in their false

worship, in their

mixed worship, in

their misplaced

trust, and in

their misplaced

love.

And yet,

although their

sins are many,

God's mercy is

more.

Maybe you know

the parable, the

story that Jesus

told.

He told the story

once of a king

who decided it was

time to settle up

with those who had

got in debt with

him.

And one man was

brought before the

king, and he had a

great mountain of

debt that he could

never pay off.

So he was unable to

pay it, and the king

said, well, because of

that, you need to go

to prison, you and

your family.

But then the man

falls on his face and

seeks mercy, and that

king instantly forgives

and cancels the debt.

Instead of punishment,

mercy.

How can anyone sing

like Zephaniah calls the

people of God to sing

when they've just been

told this catalog of

sin and disobedience that

means they are guilty

before God?

Well, Zephaniah

proclaims here that

there is a taking

away of punishment,

but it's with the

coming of Jesus that

that proclamation is

then explained to us.

How is this possible?

Well, guilt is removed

by sacrifice.

It's the picture that we

have in the Old

Testament.

But that was a pointer

to the coming of Jesus.

Jesus, who on the cross

will become that perfect

sacrifice to make

atonement for the sins

of his people, to take

on himself the punishment

that you and I deserve

so that we might be free.

One of the things that

Zephaniah shows us clearly

and the Bible teaches us

is that God is just.

God must deal with sin

in order for him to be

holy and good.

He cannot simply turn a

blind eye to sin.

He cannot sweep sin

under the rug.

But God is also

merciful and gracious.

And he has provided a way

of forgiveness through the

sending of his own son,

Jesus, to take sin

and its penalty.

And because Jesus has

fully satisfied God's

justice against our sin,

God can justly forgive

those who will trust in Jesus.

So Jesus becomes God with us

in order to be the Savior for us

so that we can sing,

so that we can sing of a

punishment that's been removed.

We can sing,

no condemnation,

now I dread,

because Jesus and all in him

is mine.

One last picture

of transformed fortunes.

Peace will be restored.

Verse 15,

the Lord has taken away

your punishment.

He has turned back

your enemy.

So remember that picture,

Jerusalem,

the city under siege

because of the judgment

of God.

Well, here is how it resolves.

The Lord will act

to deliver his people

from their enemies.

The Lord,

the King of Israel,

is with you.

Never again will you fear

any harm.

God is with his people

now to fight for them

and for their salvation.

We have this remarkable truth

side by side

that Jerusalem had chosen

to become God's enemy,

but God in his grace

chooses to be a savior

for his people.

God chooses to show grace,

grace that will bring them peace,

grace that will reconcile

them to God,

grace that will turn enemies

back into friends

once again.

made me think of Jesus

meeting with Saul

on the Damascus road.

Saul,

who was an extremely

religious man,

but Saul who had decided

that Jesus

was not telling the truth

about himself,

that he wasn't the son of God,

that Jesus and his church

should be destroyed.

Well,

Jesus comes

and seeks out

this enemy,

the risen Lord Jesus

comes to him

and confronts him

with his persecution

of the church,

converts him,

brings him into God's kingdom

and calls this enemy

into service

in this great act

of reconciliation

on the Damascus road.

And that's what God

through Jesus does

for anyone

who puts their trust

in him.

Instead of us

being at war

with God,

God establishes

peace

between us

and our God.

So that instead

of living with that

fear of judgment,

when we're trusting

in Jesus,

we can know

his welcome.

back in Stalingrad,

decades after

the siege had ended,

survivors would still

gather together

in different pockets

and they would listen

to that piece of music

from Shostakovich.

And by then,

it had been a reminder

of how that hope

that they had

back in 42

had then become

reality.

So that music

was a message

for them

of hope

becoming victory.

In verse 14,

we have the people

of God

called to sing.

What do we sing?

What do we need

to sing?

What we sing

is how we talk

to ourselves

so often.

Our greatest need

is to make

this wonderful gospel

the soundtrack

to our lives.

to sing,

to remind ourselves

of what Jesus

has done

for us.

That Jesus

has come

to turn our shame

to honor.

That Jesus

has come

to take

our punishment

so we might receive

his reward.

Jesus has come

to end

that warfare

with God

and to bring

us peace

through

his blood.

He has come

to be God

with us,

to be that

Savior

for us

so that we

might sing.

I wonder,

does the song

of the gospel

give us joy?

Does it give us

peace?

Does it help us

to remember

that honor

that we have

as the people

of God?

Jesus

is

to make

a

sense

of

sharing

with rith

Father

and

to be

,

to be

var

thi

is

for

the

st

to be